I worked to get things wrapped up around here as much as I could before Bracken and I left on our trip to Colorado. I took pictures of custom buttons and was posting those listings in our shop right up until the time when we needed to leave for the airport. And then oh, it was so nice to be unplugged for that bit of time! Still glowing from the trip, I came home feeling renewed in so many ways. Stepping out of your day to day life can give you a fresh perspective on things and I realized anew an aspect of our daily life that was driving me bonkers. It would go something like this: I’d start out in the kitchen in the mornings, making breakfast and cleaning up. I’d have tasks around the house to accomplish, orders to package up, and perhaps garden produce in need of processing. By the time I’d wrap those things up enough that I could step outdoors to get fresh air with Bracken and care for the chickens, it would be later than I’d like it to be and already time for his nap. I’d think maybe the next morning I could go faster so we could get outside sooner and then the same scenario would play out again. Day after day.
Then I wouldn’t get enough time outdoors and neither would Bracken and we would both get cabin fever. (It’s too nice outside right now to have cabin fever!) The thing is, I truly value time in nature. It soothes my soul, brings me back to center, and makes me feel more fully myself. It’s absolutely essential for my well being. (I feel it is for all of us.) And I need time in nature every single day. Not just for a few minutes before I pop back indoors, but time to actually walk around and breathe it all in. I’ve noticed the same with Bracken and Jeff as well, there is so much more peace in our life when we all get that time outside.
My grandma told me that when she was little they were outdoors all the time, not like kids today who spend most of their time indoors. I want that for Bracken too, for his childhood to be filled with outdoor explorations and discoveries, for his memories to have a green backdrop and a blue sky above. It’s important to me, and a topic I’ve mentioned here probably many times by now. (In case you’re wondering why I don’t just let him play outdoors while I’m inside getting my work done, we have bears and cougars where we live and for safety- he is only allowed to go outside while an adult is with him.) I have a friend who spends lots of time outside with her kids every day. They go on hikes, play in the yard, and go camping all the time. I love that she values time in nature so much, for herself and for her children, and that she makes it a daily priority.
Some days I was getting stir crazy in the house wishing I could just set up a kitchen in the front yard. I started imagining that I’d cook breakfast there each day and do all the preserving and cooking I needed to do out there too. Problem solved. But back to reality- I’ve come to realize some things. My life is busy. I have a long to-do list all the time. I don’t think my life is going to magically change and I’ll suddenly get more time to get outside. I am the one who is holding myself hostage in the house day after day, not allowing myself the nature time until I’ve accomplished all that I deemed necessary before my “reward.” I’m tired of that scenario. I’d like to create a new one now.
I’ve also realized that my expectations of what I’d like to accomplish each morning can be very unrealistic at times. How could I possibly get that much done in that amount of time? I have responsibilities, yes, and things that do need to get done. But I often get stressed over accomplishing things that aren’t a big deal. I need to breathe deep, relax, and have a much more easygoing attitude about it all because the stress wears on me. At some point in my day, I need to take a break from the to-do list, grab Bracken by the hand, tell Jeff in his shop to meet us in the yard when he’s ready for a breather, and just walk with my two feet right out the door. Regardless of how much I’ve crossed off the list that day or how productive I’ve felt so far, because being outside is important for our well being. And I don’t need any other reason than that.
I won’t be able to be out there all day (wouldn’t that be nice?), and many days I’ll need to bring some “indoor work” out there to accomplish, but even if I get an hour (or two) I’m grateful for that time and feel the better for it. I really do love my morning productive time in the house, I love working in the kitchen and getting orders together and cleaning up, but I reach a point where I need to get out of the house and get outside for a breather. In the midst of feeling trapped in the house, at one point I wanted to exclaim “I feel nature deprived!!” And then I looked out my window at the mountains and forests, at the gardens surrounding our house, and thought some people might feel very annoyed at me if I said that out loud. This blog is comprised of pictures I take outside, so it would look like I spend a lot of time out there, but oftentimes I’m popping outside for a quick harvest and I snap a few pictures. (Honestly, it’s amazing what just a few minutes of taking pictures around the garden can do for my mood. I feel instantly lighter and less bogged down.) At the same time, though, I think I need to admit that I have a hard time getting enough time out there to satisfy me. In today’s hectic and oftentimes stressful world, nature is the balm that soothes us. It seems the more stressed I am, the even greater need I have for it.
The funny thing is, I didn’t come here to write about any of the above at all. (I just went up and changed the title, so it would be more fitting to what I ended up saying.) I came here to write about some garden catching up when we returned home. The night we came back from the airport, we drove up to a bag of chicken feed that had been torn open by a bear. We had taken it out of the car, set it down, and forgotten to put it in the chicken coop. We’d never done that before and the bear must have been hungry to go after it. The next morning we decided that since the bear had been visiting us, we had better finish picking all the apples off our tree out front. Bracken and I had already picked all the apples we could reach awhile back, but there were still ones up higher that we hadn’t gotten yet. The bear had visited the tree the night before, as well, and broken some branches. Jeff grabbed a ladder and handed apples down to Bracken and I to put in the basket. We got them picked.
We saw a lot of rain was in the forecast so we got caught up on harvesting all the zucchini, cucumbers, and green beans. (See that giant zucchini Bracken was holding? A surprise whopper we discovered.) I also came home from the trip to a literal mountain of zucchini taking over our kitchen table. I set to work and got it all frozen. It felt good to have our kitchen table back. Jeff said he would process the zucchini during our trip, but I told him his solo work time was too precious to spend in the kitchen with zucchini.
The grapes are early this year and we’re harvesting our first grapes!! Concords, with crunchy seeds inside, they are delicious. My favorite grapes ever, in fact. We want to propagate the plant to share with family and friends. Jeff re-potted our lemon tree, not because the new pot was any bigger, but because he had a giant turmeric or ginger (forgot which he planted) growing alongside it in the pot that was starting to take over. He moved it from our yard back on to the front porch because the nights are getting colder now. As you can see, we’re still waiting for our lemon to fully ripen. (There are a few more babies on there now too!) Have I told you that we’ve been waiting for over a year? I can tell you that we are really going to appreciate that lemon when we can finally enjoy it.
Red raspberries will forever be my favorite, but Bracken still gets really excited about the golden ones, since we only have one plant of those and they feel special. Oh, and we grew spaghetti squash for the first time this year, inspired by a neighbor. You can see one next to Bracken’s slide in the picture, turning nice and yellow. We love spaghetti squash and thought it would be a good alternative to winter squash for us to grow because we have limited sunlight and it has a shorter growing season than most winter squashes do.
That beautiful silk rainbow banner? That was one of the first things I did when we got home, before I’d even finished unpacking our suitcases, was to hang it on the wall in the living room above Bracken’s play area. It was a sweet little surprise in the mail, from Stephinie. I adore it. Her banners are beautiful and make a space feel so cheery and bright!
I guess what it comes down to, now that I’m thinking about my earlier ramblings again, is that we need to make time in our lives for the things that are essential for our well being. (I know I’m not the only one feeling this way, I’ve been chatting about time for self-care with two mama friends lately.) I make this blog a priority in my life because my soul feels compelled to write and sharing here brings me joy. I fit knitting into pockets of time because it brings me such an immense amount of peace. Time with family and friends is something I cherish. Since I want more time outside, I’m going to think of it as a creative challenge. Any of my work I normally do indoors that is portable, I want to start bringing outdoors. Yesterday I brought buttons outside to organize into families to tie on cards. I got a lot done and Bracken chased grasshoppers instead of getting bored of the same ol’ scenery in the house. We soaked up sunshine and it was fantastic. (That’s why I’ve always loved hanging laundry on the line, because it’s just another excuse to be outside.) Before I know it, our rainy season will be here and I won’t be able to bring my portable work out there. Instead, we’ll be bundled in wool, taking rainy walks around the yard. I especially feel the need right now to be savoring this sunshine and warmth while it’s still here. When our family takes a daily “breather” and goes outside together, it’s something we all enjoy so much.
I’d love to hear from you. How do you get more time outside? What sorts of activities do you bring in the yard so you can enjoy the outdoors just a bit longer? How do you make time in your life for the things you love? What things are so important for your well being that you are sure to make them a priority? How do you balance self-care with your responsibilities? I want to hear your creative ideas! We can all inspire each other.
I just had an idea! I decided that you and Jeff need an outdoor kitchen! That way you get your outside time, as well as getting some canning, cooking, smoking, you name it done while enjoying the air and sunshine. AND now I want one too!
Such an interesting post Taryn. You know you could build an outside kitchen. A dear friend of mine has done just that, it is a bit like a veranda built onto the end of the house, it has a roof but just one wall and an earth floor. That is where she processes produce and prepares meals. It means that she can be outside whilst doing ‘inside’ type work enjoying the air and the immediacy of nature. When the children were tiny she could watch over them playing outside whilst still crossing things off the ever present list.
Yes, that is exactly what I want to do! Thanks for the further inspiration… 🙂 I love the way you described it all, I think your friend is on to something!
I know exactly what you mean, sometimes its so hard to finish all the jobs and get outside, but its so important for us all that we do. I find a calmness in a tidy house and feel better when i’m on top of those things, but its so easy for that to take up loads of time if we don’t prioritise our most important values. Its so interesting to think about what your priority values are and then run back how you filled your time. So often for me a mismatch! You are fortunate that you recognise that and organise your time differently. Now my youngest is nearly 10 years old i have more time for everything, but i find the online world can be a time suck and i know that i need to set myself some stern limits around it nowadays!!!
On a practical level the things that helped me in the past were tidying up in the kitchen after dinner so that i didn’t have to start the day with that job. When i could, making a few meals at a time or double batches so some days didn’t require much in the evenings. Also learning to live with the mess, knowing that you get to it in the end and it won’t be that much longer before that eases. Good relationships and food for the soul have gotta beat dusting!
blessings!
Joy- That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking about lately- looking back over how I filled my time and then not always having it align with my values. Yes, the online world can be tricky- it can be such a time suck. I have a limited amount of time to be online each day and need to be efficient in how I use it, which helps a lot.
Yes, I need to get better about tidying up the kitchen at night. I start way too many mornings with dirty dishes everywhere. I just started baking to make multiple meals each week and that does really help too. I love a tidy house too, so learning to live with the mess is good for me. 🙂
Wow, you really spoke what I’ve been feeling lately. I’m bogged down with my third sickness in a month and I know stress is a major factor in it.
After having our second baby in February, I’ve been feeling so off kilter. Some of it is postpartum depression that hit about four months in, but I feel like I’m on a constant roller coaster of “have to”. My first born just started kindergarten three weeks ago and we’re constantly going going going, never feeling like I get any time to myself.
I love being outdoors as well and actually miss the daily walks I’d take during lunchtime (I now go to daycare to visit my daughter during that time). I always want to take the girls to the park on weekends, but by the time Saturday and Sunday arrive, I’m tuckered out. I must make it a higher priority…..
Stress is probably a big factor why I got sick yesterday too! It really wreaks havoc on our systems.
I can’t imagine how you feel with two kiddos to care for, I have a hard time getting time to myself with one. I hope you can all get some time outside together, perhaps it will be just the thing to lift your spirits! It always works wonders for me. Always.
I love the outdoors! Somedays I forget how essential it is for my mood, my sleep, and my children. I get caught up in the ‘shoulds’ and fail to remember that often the ‘shoulds’ can wait. They are not ‘musts’. No one will starve or go naked if I put it off while we explore our 30 acre farm. In the southeast – when the humidity finally abates and people start doing more than drinking sweet tea or lemonade while trying desperately not to melt – I feel like I am renewed once again. I am terrible at self care. I am always putting others and other tasks ahead of myself. I need to remember that one cannot give when one feels empty. Thank you for this post! I am holding my sweet youngest who has a tummy bug that came on suddenly. I will spend my day rocking her, giving her milkies, and rearranging out priorities so that when this has passed through the house – we will make certain we are on the right track. ❤️
I love this part you wrote: “I get caught up in the ‘shoulds’ and fail to remember that often the ‘shoulds’ can wait. They are not ‘musts’. No one will starve or go naked if I put it off while we explore our 30 acre farm.” This is so true! And such a good reminder!
I think we mamas can let the self-care slide so easily because we tend to put everybody else first. But then we get depleted. So important to fill back up.
Hope your little one feels better soon!
Myrtle & I hike 2.5 miles around our land every day before 10am. The way I make sure we do this is to make it an item on my to do list every day. When I excitedly fill in my new day planner every January, the first item on the list for every day (except Saturdays from April – Dec) – Walk. It also gets marked off my list every day. If I didn’t do this it would not happen for all the other things on the list.
Oh, my fellow planner-loving friend, I love this!! I look forward to January every year because of my planner. 🙂 I love that you and Myrtle go on a daily hike. I did that at one point in time, I think daily walks are the best. And crossing it off the list would certainly be satisfying. 🙂 I don’t like to hike up the mountain behind our house anymore since there are bears and cougars and we no longer have dogs. I can walk around the garden, but it’s not the same. Still thinking of a creative solution for a daily walk nearby…
I will admit, that as much as I need/like a tidy house I’m not one to require it to be sparkling clean at all! That lifts alot of my personal burden. I’ve also learned that somedays when I have a long to do list and I cross one item off it wasn’t a wasted day it just went differently than planned in my head. And then there are the days that I know certain things must be done and I choose to do only those as to make certain they do get accomplished and then we get outside. Maybe put *go outside* on your to do list everyday and prioritize it as having importance. Enjoy this beautiful fall!!!
Yes! Go outside on the to-do list!
Great post as always. LOVE the pictures and those grapes..oh my!! I found myself staring at the picture almost tasting them they looked so perfect.
I thrive on being outdoors as do my children. That is why we camp like we do, as much as we do. We practically live outside from May when the campgrounds open till Thanksgiving weekend which for us is the 12 th of October when they close down for the year .There is something about sleeping and spending every moment of the day outdoors. It is funny because everything is more work when camping…cooking is more difficult but every meal tastes better outside….doing dishes is more time consuming but way more enjoyable outside. There are no luxuries. None needed.
I find when I am home there is always something to come inside for…laundry…cleaning…even the phone ringing , but with camping ,life is striped down to the bare basics and there is no inside to go to. It is truly my families favorite way to spend our time together . It feeds our souls and has become our necessity. When it finishes for the season I get into a bit of a funk but dream about the spring when it all starts again….
There truly is nothing better than being out in it.
I think that is so special your family has that time together, Tracy! To connect together, outdoors, with no other distractions… it’s such a gift! I love that you camp so much. That’s something I’d love to do as well, just need to get a bigger tent that we can all fit into! 🙂
You know, I was so busy inside today that I never got out; and I’m working for the next two days. In Connecticut the outside times are special, because in winter you really can’t hang around outdoors, so I know I need to make time to be out. I don’t know what the solution is.
I think maybe small little trips (30-45 min) outside would fit your busy schedule. Maybe you can set the kitchen timer and then when it dings, you and Bracken can go outside and walk around a little bit or gather leaves or simply look up. When I was a young busy mama I always felt that “first” burden, first I should put a load of laundry in, first I should make the bed, first I should make that phone call, and the firsts turn into time suckers and then we don’t go outside and soak up the vitamin D. Sometimes I just said, “Time to go outside!” and walked out and sat on the stone steps and watched the kids roar around on their bikes without looking at my watch. I’m not one bit sorry.
That zucchini is SO HUGE!
I LOVE the idea to set the kitchen timer! That’s genius! And thank you for mentioning it. So true about the firsts, such a good reminder.
All of this is so beautiful!! And I love where you hung up the rainbow banner! xoxo